Networking, technology take center stage at AAHomecare update 

DALLAS – As the saying goes, it takes a village and that was nowhere more evident than at the AAHomecare Update at Medtrade, where a panel of HME leaders shared their insights on everything from advocacy to reimbursement to e-prescribing. 

The Wednesday afternoon session – a new time and format – featured Bill Guidetti of Apria, Josh Marx of Medical Service Company and Ryan Bullock of Aeroflow. 

“It’s important to have a strong advocate in Washington, but even at the state levels, it’s important to have representation with Medicaid programs and commercial payers,” said Guidetti when asked by moderator Tom Ryan, president and CEO of AAHomecare, about why he got involved with the association. “We have to join together.” 

That idea of joining together is particularly important when it comes to advocating for better reimbursement, said Bullock, who referenced a pair of recent surveys seeking input on the rising costs of enteral nutrition and urological supplies. 

“It’s that collective data from each of us that gives us something to take to legislators and payers,” he said. “That helps us as providers say, ‘Here is what’s happening and let me give you my story.’” 

Providers have so much to learn from each other, said Marx, who finds the networking he’s done since joining the industry to be valuable. 

“Do you have a best friend in the industry?” he said. “(I like to) hear what’s going on and, at some point in time, apply something I learned from a conversation today.” 

As the industry looks to the future, patient care will continue to evolve and technology will play an ever-increasing role, said panelists. For Guidetti, that means e-prescribing. 

“If you think about the workflow we all have, that will improve operations, improve cash collections, (we’ll have) fewer audits, better patient compliance and satisfaction,” he said. “The question in the room is not if, but when and what does it take to get us there.”